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Antibiotic Prophylaxis with a Single Dose of Cefazolin During Pacemaker Implantation: Incidence of Long‐Term Infective Complications
Author(s) -
BERTAGLIA EMANUELE,
ZERBO FRANCESCA,
ZARDO SUSANNA,
BARZAN DANIELA,
ZOPPO FRANCO,
PASCOTTO PIETRO
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.2006.00294.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cefazolin , infective endocarditis , antibiotic prophylaxis , surgery , incidence (geometry) , antibiotics , complication , anesthesia , physics , optics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Objective: Systemic and localized infections related to permanent pacemaker implantation are not common, but are serious and potentially life‐threatening complications. The aims of this prospective observational study were: (1) to assess the safety and long‐term efficacy of a simplified scheme of antibiotic prophylaxis, and (2) to identify the predictors of long‐term infective complications, in patients undergoing pacemaker implantation or replacement.Methods and Results: From October 1998 to July 2001, 852 patients (mean age 77.0 ± 9.2 years; 474 men) who underwent new permanent pacemaker implantation (69.6%) or pulse generator replacement (30.4%) received a mini‐bag of 2 g of cefazolin diluted in 50 mL of saline solution, administered intravenously in 20 minutes before the beginning of the procedure. Early (within 2 months of implantation) and late major and minor infective complications were recorded. During the earlier phase, minor complications were observed in 9 patients (1%). During the long‐term phase of the surveillance (mean 25.6 ± 11.0 months, range 12–55 months) major infective complications were observed in 6 patients (0.7%). On multivariate analysis, no clinical or procedural variable predicted the occurrence of long‐term infective complications.Conclusions: Our data indicate the safety and efficacy of a single, intravenous 2 g dose of cefazolin in preventing infective complications related to pacemaker implantation or replacement. No clinical or procedural variable predicted the occurrence of long‐term infective complications.